(a) In general. This section sets forth the circumstances under which a State must require proof of payment of the tax imposed by section 4481(a), and the required manner in which such proof of payment is to be received by the State as a condition of issuing a registration for a highway motor vehicle. A State must either comply with the provisions of this section or, in the alternative, comply with such other rules regarding the satisfaction of this proof of payment requirement as may be prescribed by the Commissioner (by Revenue Procedure or otherwise), in order to avoid a reduction of Federal-aid highway funds apportioned under 23 U.S.C. 104(b)(4). For purposes of this section, the rules of section 7502 and §301.7502-1 of this chapter (relating to timely mailing treated as timely filing) determine when an application for registration is considered to be received by a State.

(b) Proof of payment required—(1) In general.— A State to which an application is made to register a highway motor vehicle must receive from the registrant proof of payment of the tax imposed by section 4481(a) (or proof of suspension of such tax under §41.4483-3) unless otherwise provided in this paragraph (b)(1), or paragraph (b)(2) or (5) of this section. See paragraph (c) of this section for the meaning of “proof of payment”. Such proof of payment must be received by the State before the State issues a registration for such vehicle unless the State is using a system of registration provided in paragraph (b)(3) of this section. The term “proof of payment”, when used in this section, shall be considered to refer in appropriate cases to proof of suspension of the tax imposed by section 4481(a). Except as provided in paragraph (b)(4) of this section, any proof of payment presented to a State must relate to tax paid (or suspended under §41.4483-3) for the taxable period which includes the date that the State receives the application for registration. A “base state” must be presented proof of payment when issuing an “apportioned plate” under the International Registration Plan (IRP) (or similar agreement) for a highway motor vehicle, but no proof of payment of the tax imposed by section 4481(a) is required to be presented to the other states for which the vehicle is proportionally registered and which are listed on the IRP cab card issued by the base state. Further, a State is not required to receive proof of payment in order to issue special temporary travel permits which allow a vehicle to, (i) operate in a State in which the vehicle is not registered (including proportional or prorate registration), (ii) operate at more than the State's maximum statutory weight limit, or (iii) operate at more than the weight that the vehicle is registered in a State. Further, a State may register a highway motor vehicle without proof of payment if the person registering the vehicle presents the original or a photocopy of a bill of sale (or other document evidencing transfer) indicating that the vehicle was purchased by the owner either as a new or used vehicle during the preceding 60 days before the date that the State receives the application for registration of such vehicle.

(2) States required to receive proof of payment with respect to vehicles subject to tax—(i) Registration in States that register vehicles on the basis of gross weight. A State that registers vehicles on the basis of gross weight must require proof of payment with respect to any highway motor vehicle that has a declared gross weight in that State of 55,000 pounds or more. If no declaration of a specific gross weight is made with respect to a highway motor vehicle registered on the basis of gross weight, then the State must require proof of payment with respect to such vehicle if the minimum weight of the registered weight category for such vehicle is 55,000 pounds or more. No such proof of payment is required for any vehicle that does not have a declared gross weight in that State of 55,000 pounds or more.

(ii) Registration in States that register vehicles other than on the basis of gross weight. A State that registers vehicles other than on the basis of gross weight must require proof of payment in order to register a highway motor vehicle unless the State receives a written statement stating that during the taxable period which includes the date on which the State receives the application for registration, such vehicle had a taxable gross weight of less than 55,000 pounds. The written statement must state the number of vehicles being registered that have a taxable gross weight of less than 55,000 pounds and must be signed by the person registering the vehicles. A State may register a highway motor vehicle without receiving either proof of payment or a written statement as described above if such vehicle has an unladen weight of 8,000 pounds or less. However, the State must require proof of payment when issuing a “base plate” registration for a vehicle if a gross weight declaration of 55,000 pounds or more is made to the State with respect to such vehicle in order to proportionally register the vehicle in another State under the IRP.

(iii) State may require additional proof. Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit a State from refusing to register a highway motor vehicle without additional proof that the vehicle is not subject to tax under section 4481(a) even though the person registering the vehicle submits a written statement declaring that the taxable gross weight of such vehicle is less than 55,000 pounds.

(3) Suspension registration system. A State may issue a registration with respect to any or all highway motor vehicles subject to tax under section 4481(a) without receiving proof of payment if such vehicles are registered under a “suspension” registration system. Registration of a vehicle subject to tax under a suspension system must be on the condition that, (i) the State receive proof of payment with respect to such vehicle no later than 4 months (or any lesser time to be determined by the State) after the beginning of the vehicle's registration period, and (ii) the State's system provides for the automatic suspension (e.g. through the use of computer-generated notices) of such vehicle's registration if no proof of payment is received within the required time. Following such a suspension of registration, the State must not allow the vehicle to be registered until valid proof of payment is received. A State may either register all vehicles subject to tax under section 4481(a) in the manner described in this paragraph (b)(3) or adopt this manner of registration only in situations which the State deems appropriate. A State that registers vehicles other than on the basis of gross weight may also register vehicles not subject to tax under a suspension registration system for purposes of receiving the written statement described in paragraph (b)(2)(ii).

(4) Registration during certain months. In the case of a highway motor vehicle subject to tax under section 4481(a) for which a State receives an application for registration during the months of July, August or September, proof of payment for the immediately preceding taxable period may be used to verify payment of the tax imposed by section 4481(a).

(5) Registration in a State several times during the taxable period. A State is required to receive proof of payment with respect to a highway motor vehicle subject to tax under section 4481(a) only once during a taxable period. Thus, in the case of a State that allows a highway motor vehicle to be registered on a quarterly basis, rather than annually, proof of payment will be required to be presented to the State only once during the taxable period. The State may designate any one of the four quarterly registration periods as the time for submitting proof of payment.

(6) Proof of payment records. See 23 CFR part 669 for a description of the supporting documentation and records that will be required by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in order to allow the FHWA to verify that the State is in compliance with the rules of this section.

(c) Proof of payment—(1) In general. The proof of payment required in paragraph (b) of this section consists of a receipted Schedule 1 (Form 2290 “Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return”) that is returned by the Internal Revenue Service, by mail or electronically, to a taxpayer that files a return of tax under section 4481(a), meets the requirements of §41.6011(a)-1, and pays the amount of tax due with such return. A photocopy of such receipted Schedule 1 also serves as proof of payment. Such Schedule 1 serves as proof of suspension of such tax under §41.4483-3 for the number of vehicles entered in that part of the Schedule 1 designated for vehicles for which tax has been suspended. The vehicle identification number of the vehicle being registered must appear on the Schedule 1 (or an attached page) in order for the Schedule 1 to be a valid proof of payment for such vehicle.

(2) Acceptable substitute for receipted Schedule 1. For purposes of this section, a State must accept as proof of payment a photocopy of the Form 2290 (with the Schedule 1 attached) that was filed with the Internal Revenue Service for the vehicle being registered with sufficient documentation of payment of tax due at the time the Form 2290 was filed (such as a photocopy of both sides of a cancelled check). This substitute proof of payment may be used to register a vehicle when, for example, the receipted Schedule 1 has been lost, or when at the time required for registration of a vehicle, a receipted Schedule 1 has not been received by a taxpayer who has filed a Form 2290 with respect to such vehicle.

(d) Examples. The application of this section may be illustrated by the following examples:

(e) Effective/applicability date. Paragraph (c) of this section applies to registrations of highway motor vehicles pursuant to applications that are received by a State on or after July 1, 2015. The rules of section 7502 and §301.7502-1 of this chapter (relating to timely mailing treated as timely filing) determine when an application for registration is considered to be received by a State. For rules applicable to applications before that date, see 26 CFR 41.6001-2 (revised as of April 1, 2014).

[T.D. 8027, 50 FR 21251, May 23, 1985, as amended by T.D. 8879, 65 FR 17154, Mar. 31, 2000; T.D. 9537, 76 FR 43122, July 20, 2011; T.D. 9698, 79 FR 64316, Oct. 29, 2014]